Per Mertesacker is entrusted with the job of collecting fines from Arsenal players in breach of club discipline but the German may find himself going cap in hand to manager Arsene Wenger for his place in the team.

Farah will defend his 5000m title at August’s World Championships in Moscow and he was pleased to lay down a marker. He said yesterday: “The young guys wanted to beat me, I’m the man to beat. There’s no hiding me.

“They tried to race me on the last lap here, [now] they know they don’t want to leave it to the last lap. They’ll probably sacrifice someone to go hard [in Moscow]. Even today the three guys were talking between each other.”